Blancanieves (2012)

Genre

Drama

Director

Pablo Berger

Countries

Spain, France

Cast

Macarena Garcia, Maribel Verdú, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Angela Molina, Inma Cuesta, Sofia Oria, Josep Maria Pou, Ramon Barea, Pere Ponce, Emilio Gavira

Storyline

After her grandmother (Angela Molina) dies, young Carmen (Sofia Oria) goes to live with her former bullfighter and now paraplegic father (Daniel Giménez Cacho) and her evil stepmother Encarna (Maribel Verdú). Years later, when Carmen (Macarena Garcia) is a beautiful young woman, Encarna plot to kill her, but her plan fails when she is rescued by a band of travelling bullfighting dwarfs that sees Carmen's natural skills as a bullfighter and helps her to become one.

Opinion

I've seen several Snow White-inspired films in the past few years and they all had one thing in common, they were terrible movies. Now, I've been fascinated by this fairy tale since I was a kid and watching such terrible movies was quite hard to digest. Then, a couple of months ago, I discovered the existence of Blancanieves, this Spanish movie that almost made it to the Best Foreign Language Oscar short-list. A black-and-white silent version of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale set in 1920s Spain where Snow White/Blancanieves is a bullfighter. I just couldn't say no. And I'm glad I did so because Blancanieves is one of the best adaptations of the fairy tale I've seen.

And it's exactly that different setting that makes the film work so well. In fact, when making a film with such a classic and well-known story there's always the risk to make an uninteresting film, which Pablo Berger avoids by telling it in a refreshing and unexpected way that will have you constantly waiting for famous plot points only to see what's his take on them. And being it told so differently, although we already know how the story is going to end, it's more than a pleasure to follow Carmen's journey.

That, however, isn't the film's greatest strength which would arguably be the visuals. Blancanieves has a tremendous black and white photography, a use of dissolves that beautifully brings together the past and present and a masterful use of lights and shadows. To that, add the 1.33:1 aspect ratio that gives the movie an even more authentic silent movie feeling.

And have I mentioned the score? It is moving and emotive and it beautifully blends into the story. Not to mention that it makes you feel like you're inside the movie.

At last but not least there's the cast, a talented cast to be precise. In addition to a magnificent leading cast - Macarena Garcia, Maribel Verdú and Daniel Giménez Cacho respectively as grown-up Carmen/Blancanieves, the stepmother and the father -, the film also features a strong supporting cast.

The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Director

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

Country

USA

Cast

Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Nick Frost, Sam Claflin, Rob Brydon, Alexandra Roach, Sheridan Smith, Sope Dirisu, Colin Morgan, Christopher Obi, Madeleine Worrall, Sam Hazeldine, Sophie Cookson, Liam Neeson, Conrad Khan, Niamh Walter

Storyline

Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and fellow warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain), raised as members of ice Queen Freya's army, try to conceal their forbidden love as they fight to survive the wicked intentions of both Freya (Emily Blunt) and her sister Ravenna (Charlize Theron).

Opinion

I wasn't crazy about "Snow White and the Huntsman" so I clearly didn't have high expectation for this one. And I'm glad I didn't because I would have only been disappointed.

Wonderfully packaged with beautiful visuals and a stellar cast, "The Huntsman: Winter's War" is a dull and entirely unnecessary prequel/sequel that is a mess from start to finish.

While its predecessor featured a spectacular performance from Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen, so great that it's worth watching the film for it, this film has nothing great at all. First of all, it has been pitched as a prequel when it only spends 15 minutes before the story of the original, and the rest of the film - a never ending hour and a half or so - takes place after that.

And the after is another huge problem. The story seems really forced, and it's made completely uninteresting and uncompelling by some awful storytelling. Not to mention all of the discrepancies between the past in this film, and how that past has been told in "Snow White and the Huntsman". Same facts, like the death of the huntsman's wife, different story behind it.

To top that mess, the film also features two royal sisters becoming estranged, with one of them causing the kingdom to fall into a never ending winter - doesn't that remember you of another film? Something called "Frozen" maybe?

But the film did not just steal from one movie. The "victims" are indeed many, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games series.

And then comes the cast. Sure, it's stellar, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's good. For some reason, Chris Hemsworth plays a complete different huntsman than before, and this version is not very likable. Jessica Chastain is completely wasted to play that shallow character. Emily Blunt gives a lifeless performance as Elsa. Oops, I meant Freya. And Charlize Theron, oh poor woman, she does her best, but one person alone can't save a mess of a film.

Mirror Mirror (2012)

Genre

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Director

Tarsem Singh

Country

USA | Czech Republic

Cast

Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Mare Winningham, Michael Lerner, Sean Bean, Danny Woodburn, Martin Klebba, Sebastian Saraceno, Jordan Prentice, Mark Povinelli, Joe Gnoffo, Ronald Lee Clark, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Robert Emms, Alex Ivanovici, Frank Welker

Storyline

After a beloved King vanishes, his ruthless wife (Julia Roberts) seizes control of the kingdom and keeps her beautiful 18-year-old stepdaughter, Snow White (Lily Collins), hidden away in the palace. But when the princess attracts the attention of a charming and wealthy visiting prince (Armie Hammer), the jealous Queen banishes the girl to a nearby forest. Taken in by a band of rebellious but kindhearted dwarfs, Snow White blossoms into a brave young woman determined to save her country from the Queen.

Opinion

Magic mirror on the wall, which is the worst fairy tale movie in the world? Of course this one, Majesty.

Tedious, tedious, and tedious, Mirror Mirror doesn't work neither as a comedy nor as a drama, failing both in being funny and dramatic. It rather feels like a parody gone bad.

The beautiful fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm that we all know and love brought to the screen for the first time by Walt Disney has been completely destroyed firstly by the writers and secondly by the director, who thought it was appropriate to make a film out of that crap.

If on one hand, the idea of repropose a story in a different way is not original, it still stimulates the audience's interest. Unfortunately, the story is really bad in here, and Snow White doesn't really help. The character is just so not sympathetic, you'll probably end up rooting for the Queen, and she is not that great either. For some unknown reasons, Armie Hammer is constantly shirtless. Not to mention the horrendous Bollywood musical scene that FINALLY ends the film. The dwarfs, which are now robbers because apparently being miners is too mainstream, easily steal the show, and you may find yourself smiling a few times thank to them. I said smile not laughing. Not even the extraordinary costumes by Eiko Ishioka can save the film from the abyss.

Having her carrier sinking like the Titanic, Julia Roberts fails in being an effective villain. She is not intimidating at all. Lily Collins, blasphemously compared by some critics to Audrey Hepburn, may be pretty and graceful, but she delivers a flat performance - the script surely didn't help there. Armie Hammer is nothing more than a man-object, annoying and ridiculous besides.